Bilo jednom u Hrvatskoj
Encyclopedia
Bilo jednom u Hrvatskoj is an album of the Croatia
n singer Marko Perković Thompson
. It was released on December 8, 2006.
All songs on the album were written by Marko Perković
, except for Lipa Kaja written by Zdenko Hršak and Tamo gdje su moji korijeni written by both M.P. Thompson and Fayo
.
In 2007, 45,000 copies of the album were sold, making it Croatia Records
' best-selling album of the year.
about Croatia.
It begins with Početak, which starts with the opening lines from the Gospel of John
and then continues with God's creation of the world and humanity's actions in it. It then continues with Dolazak Hrvata, or the Arrival of the Croats, which deals with how the Croatian people came to their lands. The third song Duh ratnika, is a dramatic dialogue between the M. P.Thompson and the ghost of a Croatian warrior. The warrior doesn't recognize Croatia, as it was in his dreams which he died for. The song is a call to make sovereign Croatia a nation to be proud of.
It continue after with Diva Grabovčeva, a song about a legendary Croatian maiden from Rama
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
who refused to marry a Turkish bey during the region's Ottoman occupation, and was then killed. After it with Moj dida i ja the singer and author pays a moving homage to the man that educated him and taught him these old histories, his Grandfather.
The first side of album ends with Neko ni'ko ne dira u moj mali dio svemira, a direct, energetic reply to the accusations about band's alleged sympathies with neo-fascism.
I've fought for this land's independence, singer says and I've never hasked to stranger's nothing more than her freedom, and now some lowly penmans, that were hiding themselves like rats during war, want to use me for red-tape press. I don't care about their accusation, only let's say all together "that no-one dare to touch my little part of universe".
The B-side begin with a love song ( but with a patriotic meanings inside), "Lipa Kaja", it was previously edited as a single hit and it has become very popular,
The song after Kletva kralja Zvonimira is about another popular Croatian legend.
When the Croats betrayed their King Dmitar Zvonimir and killed him, Zvonimir cursed them so that they would never again have a ruler of their own blood. This curse was supposedly broken with Croatian independence in 1991, but now corrupt and coward politicians are betraying the country: they have sold out our dreams and now the curse words are echoing anew through the mountains and the back-up vocals also cry them back in a terrorizing climax.
Reached with this song, the verge of Drama, it is up to the subsequent song, Ratnici svjetla to solve it, resounding with commotion, pride and hope.
It talks in fact about the fallen soldier's memory, asking personally to everyone to keep alive their memory and ends showing the figures of their brothers in arms, families and common people, banding together again with candles in their hands like "soldiers of light". There's still someone, lots of them really, that have not renounced dreaming and will keep on to the good fight.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n singer Marko Perković Thompson
Thompson (band)
Thompson is a Croatian rock band. The group was founded by Marko Perković "Thompson", who is often identified with the band itself, "Thompson" being his stage name. Perković is the songwriter and lead vocalist...
. It was released on December 8, 2006.
All songs on the album were written by Marko Perković
Marko Perkovic
Marko Perković is a Croatian musician and is the lead singer of the band Thompson since 1991....
, except for Lipa Kaja written by Zdenko Hršak and Tamo gdje su moji korijeni written by both M.P. Thompson and Fayo
Faruk Buljubašic Fayo
Faruk Buljubašić Fayo is a Bosnian songwriter.He has worked with all the top Croatian music festival acts: Hari Mata Hari, Zlatko Pejaković, Nina Badrić, Divas, Branimir Mihaljević, Severina Vučković, Željko Bebek, Amir Kazić Leo, Sanja Doležal, Mišo Kovač, Doris Dragović, Toni Cetinski, Novi...
.
In 2007, 45,000 copies of the album were sold, making it Croatia Records
Croatia Records
Croatia Records is the largest major record label in Croatia, based in Dubrava in Zagreb.-Summary:Croatia Records d.d. is a joint stock company currently led by the Chairman of the Board of directors Želimir Babogredac, a notable sound engineer...
' best-selling album of the year.
Songs
From the first songs the album almost qualify itself as a historic, or better mythical Rock OperaConcept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
about Croatia.
It begins with Početak, which starts with the opening lines from the Gospel of John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
and then continues with God's creation of the world and humanity's actions in it. It then continues with Dolazak Hrvata, or the Arrival of the Croats, which deals with how the Croatian people came to their lands. The third song Duh ratnika, is a dramatic dialogue between the M. P.Thompson and the ghost of a Croatian warrior. The warrior doesn't recognize Croatia, as it was in his dreams which he died for. The song is a call to make sovereign Croatia a nation to be proud of.
It continue after with Diva Grabovčeva, a song about a legendary Croatian maiden from Rama
Prozor-Rama
Prozor-Rama is a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina.The town of Prozor is located in the northern part of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
who refused to marry a Turkish bey during the region's Ottoman occupation, and was then killed. After it with Moj dida i ja the singer and author pays a moving homage to the man that educated him and taught him these old histories, his Grandfather.
The first side of album ends with Neko ni'ko ne dira u moj mali dio svemira, a direct, energetic reply to the accusations about band's alleged sympathies with neo-fascism.
I've fought for this land's independence, singer says and I've never hasked to stranger's nothing more than her freedom, and now some lowly penmans, that were hiding themselves like rats during war, want to use me for red-tape press. I don't care about their accusation, only let's say all together "that no-one dare to touch my little part of universe".
The B-side begin with a love song ( but with a patriotic meanings inside), "Lipa Kaja", it was previously edited as a single hit and it has become very popular,
The song after Kletva kralja Zvonimira is about another popular Croatian legend.
When the Croats betrayed their King Dmitar Zvonimir and killed him, Zvonimir cursed them so that they would never again have a ruler of their own blood. This curse was supposedly broken with Croatian independence in 1991, but now corrupt and coward politicians are betraying the country: they have sold out our dreams and now the curse words are echoing anew through the mountains and the back-up vocals also cry them back in a terrorizing climax.
Reached with this song, the verge of Drama, it is up to the subsequent song, Ratnici svjetla to solve it, resounding with commotion, pride and hope.
It talks in fact about the fallen soldier's memory, asking personally to everyone to keep alive their memory and ends showing the figures of their brothers in arms, families and common people, banding together again with candles in their hands like "soldiers of light". There's still someone, lots of them really, that have not renounced dreaming and will keep on to the good fight.